gouverneur



Jan. 1, 1929. 1,697,422

M. F. H. GOUVERNEUR DEVICE FOR CUTTING HOLES IN INSULATORS Filed Nov, 20, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Jan. 1, 1929.

1 PUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

'MINOR F. H. GOUVERNEUR, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO LOGKE INSULA- TOR CORPORATION, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

v,DEVIGIE FOR CUTTING HOLES IN INSULATORS.

Application filed November 20, 1925. Serial No. 70,429.

, This invention relates to devices used in the making of insulators, particularly those of the Hewlett type having interlinking curved passages therein for the reception of suspension elements.

The object of the invention, generally stated, is to provide a device adapted to be usable supporting and guide means for successively usable cutters whereby separate but adjacent cuts may be made to define the desired curved passage, one cutter forming the inner wall thereof and the other the outer wall, it being preferable that the passages I be narrowest at their central portions with their end portions flaring in order that in case of freezing of water accumulating therein expansion may occur without danger of breakage.

Another object of the invention is to provide means of this character in which the same type of shiftable support, guide and cutters are used for workingupon the insulator from the top or under-side thereof inasmuch as the interlinking curved passages open out to the opposite sides of the insula: tor.

Still another object is to provide a device of this character in which the relatively stationary support carries stop means for limiting movement of the movably mounted guide support or carrier so that the selectively usable cutters will be brought into the proper position for making the necessary cuts.

A further object of the invention is the provision of cutting means. which may be identically the same for use at the top and bottom of the insulator with the exception of variations in the shape or size of the relatively stationary support whereby the support may be easily centered with respect to the insulator. Y e c Another object is to provide cutting means,- the construction and operation 01. which will, be such as to make a clean cutat the point where the cutting tool emerges from the insulator, tearingof the plastic material being consequently avoided.

The invention further contemplates the employment of a cutter of tubular form, which when forced through the insulator will retain the material cut therefrom, the cutters used being, moreover, removably mounted upon their guides and being consequently readily capable of removal for cleaningpurposes and replacement in case of necessity.

Another object of the invention is the pro -V vision of a cutter guide so constructed as to engage the cutter at only three spaced points whereby an adequate support will be provided while frictional'resistance to sliding of the cutter upon the guide, under manual impulse, will be reduced to the minimum, the work being consequently lightened.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other objects and advantages such as simplicity, cheapness, ease of manipulation and the general improvement of the art, the in-' vention preferably consists in the details of construction and the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view'of the cutter in operative position upon the top of an insulator, v

Figure 2 is a cross section taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a cross section taken at right angles to Figure 2,

Figure i is across sectional view showing the form of device used for cutting the insulator from the underside thereof, the smaller cutter being shown in act-ion.

Referring moreparticularly to the draw-- ings theletter A designates a'suspensioninsulator of the Hewlett type formed in the usual or any preferred manner and having an upstanding central portion B, a central lower portion G and a depending skirt D. The top surface E outwardly of the central upstanding portion B is represented as sloping slightly downwardly and outwardly. In insulators of this type it is customary to provide interlinking curved passages shown at F and G for the reception of suspension devices, not shown, which passages are formed by the means to be described.

In carrying out the present invention I provide a relatively stationary support 1 here diam shown as oil disk-like form and of a diameter the se me as or slightly less than the n'iaximuin diameter of the i sulator, which support is intended. to be disposed upon the top of the insulator, the central portion of the supporting disk being cut away as indicated at 2 so as to accommodate the central upstanding portion B, the disk itself lying upon and preterably conforming to the top surface E of the insulator. E-lec-ured upon the support or disk 1 and located at opposite sides of the opening 2 therein are spaced guides 3 arranged in pairs. ll hile these guides might have any preferred specific construction they are here represented as consisting o'lf or including; strips a upon which are secured strips 5 which overhang the con li'ronting edges oil the strips l and constitid-e retaining means for the relatively movable support ll which is represented as being of curved shape in cross section and terminating at its side edges in flanges 7 engaged beneath the overhang;- ing' strips 5. The curvature of the support 6 is such that it will clear the central upstanding portion 1) of the insulator to avoid inuring the surface thereof. At spaced points intermediate its length the relatively movable support 6 is formed or otherwise provided with guides 8 and 9 both of which are concaved and 01": partial ring-like form. l/Vhile both guides are arcuate, they are ec centric with respect to each other, the guide 9 being of less diameter than the guide 8 and having its center substantially concentric with the center of curvature of the upper surface of the upstanding central portion B of the insulator. The curvature of the guide 8 is such that its center coincides with the center of the curvatiu'e oil the lower surface of the depending central portion C of the insulator. The guides 8 and 9 may conveniently be of the skeleton-like construction shown in the drawings. Furthermore, these guides terminate, at one end, considerably above or spaced from the relatively stationary support or disk 1 while at their other ends they extend into the cut away portion 2., this latter mentioned detail being illustrated in Figures 2 and The apparatus further includes cutters l0 and 11, the former of which is used in connection with the guide 8 and the latter of which is used in connection with the guide 9. Each Of these cutters is shown as being of tubular material and of the shape, substaa tially. of a halt ring. The cutters are concentric with respect to the ankles 8 and 9 and, when ready for use, are htted into the concavitics in the guides. The cutting action involves movement of the cutters along the guides, as will be described, and for these reasons the concavities in the guides are prei erably of such cross sectional configuration that only the edges and the bottoms will be engaged by the cutters, thus grea tly reducing;

friction as there are only three lines ol' coir tact. Secured upon one end oi the cutter l l is an elongated strip 12] constituting; a handle, While the cutter 10 is 'irelerably provided with a loop-line handle 'l l which may. in actual practice. he cut from the material ol' the cutter itself. and termed into the de-1ired shape, though naturally such details are immaterial.

Durinp; the operation which will be or;- plained it is necessary that the relatively movable support ('3 be shifted to bring one cutter and then the other. into cul'l'ioy; posh tion at the center of the insulator, l'or which reason the above described slidable texture is provided. For limiting: the morement so as to insure the bringing oi the cutters int the exact positions desired. it is prel'crable to provide stops .ll and 15. the ilormer ol' which will be engaged by the slidable support (1 when the cutter ll is in (merative positioo, and the latter of which will he cup'agrecl by the slidable support when the cutter l l] is in proper position for euttinof.

In the peratiointhe dish 1 is centered upon the top of the insulate and the support ll ll-i slid to one limit of its movemel to bring! r-il her the c tter 10 or the cutter ll into active position. ilissuming that this has been done and that theparts are in the position shown, in Figures 1 and 9. the operator engragies lhe cutter 10 upon the guide 8 and, are spine the handle 13, moves the cutter along. upon or about its guide, in the direction ol the arrow in Eigure 2 so that the cutter will be i'orced. in a curved path, through the ma erial oi the insulator, thus lormin the outer wall ol the curved passage l Obviously the urderiol cut remains within the cutle' and may sulu sequently be removed therefrom by puvhiou it out by any suitable means such tl'or insl once as a flexible rod or i ts e piivale.:1t. ll'beo the end of the cutter is about to cmergg e 'l'roo the insulator, a soft rubber pad or the like may be pressed over the point o emergence so that the cutter will mal" a clean cut instead oil? tearing away the material. 5h ller the liri-at out has been thus made, the culler ll) may be laid aside and the slidable .Slllflljfll'h (3 is shi'l'led into its other position to bring); the guide ll over the center of the insulator. The roller 11 is then applied and used or. the gu de .l in exactly the same manner as described in Millncction with the cutter ill in order a cut merging into the lirrl cut and de luhur the inner or more uljrruptly curr d wall of the passage F.

In forming the passage (l lhroiurh lhr upper portion of the insulator, an equ i rah: u device is used, all the parts being identiro lly the same except that the above dcscriher. dish 1 is replaced by a similar disk lo which is of smaller diameter so as to lit within the coufines of the skirt D and against the uiulers-ude of the insulator between the shirt and the to muh lllll lill'l depending projection O. Any supporting means may be provided upon which the insulator itself is laid in inverted position. The same operation of cutting with i one cutter, shifting the slidable support and then cutting with the other cutter is gone through with as above described in order to form the passage G which is of exactly the same size and shape as the passage F but at right angles thereto so that the two passages will interlink as is necessary. y

A feature of importance is the fact that the openingQin the support 1 and the correspond 'ing opening 17 in the supporting disk 16 are a guide to insure the disposition of the disks 1 and 16 in such positions that the passages cut will be atright angles to each other as is requisite in this type of insulator. Obviously any suitable auxiliary tools or other devices may be used or any methods may be resorted to for smoothing ofl the edges at the ends of the interlinking passages, though this is a detail not illustrated, as being of minor importance. V

A cutting apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention will be inexpensive to make and easy to operate, the la r feature being of great importance 5111215111 ch as, a large number of insulators may be quickly and accurately out without requiring any great degree of skill, the cost of production being consequently materially reduced and the danger or ruining insulators during the cutting operation greatly decreased. Y

' While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention,- it should be understood that the disclosure is merely illustrative as the right is reserved to make many changes in the'details of construction and also in the arrangement and combination of parts so as to widen the field of utility and increase the adaptability of the invention, provided, of course, that such variations constitute no departure from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1.. In a device of the character described, a relatively stationary support adapted to be disposed upon an insulator in plastic condition, said support having an open portion exposing the material of the insulator, a guide carried by the support, and a cutter movably mounted upon the guide and movable through said open portion and along a curved path through the material of the insulator to form a curved passage therein.

2. In a device of the character described, a relatively stationary support adapted to be disposed upon an insulator in plastic condition, said support having an aperture therein exposing the insulator, a guide carried by the support, and a cutter movably mounted upon the guide and adapted to pass through said aperture, said cutter being movable along a curved path through the material of the insulator to form a curved passage there in, thecutter being removably mounted upon the guide.

3. Means for cutting curved passages in insulators, comprising a relatively stationary support adapted to be engaged upon an insulator, said support having an open portion, a support movably mounted upon said relatively stationary support and carrying guides, and selectively operable cutters of curved formation carried by the guides and movable therealong and into and through the material of the insulator.

4. Means for cutting curved passages in insulators in a plastic condition, comprising a relatively stationary support adapted to be centered with respect to an insulator and having an open portion exposing the material of the insulator, a relatively movable support slidably mounted upon the relatively stationary support, guides on the movable support, curved tubular cutters slidably mounted on said guides and'movable through the material of the insulator, and means for positively positioning a selected guide and cutter at the center of the insulator.

5. Means for cutting curved passages in insulators in a plastic condition, comprising relatively stationary support adapted to be centered with respect to an insulator and having an open portion exposing the material of the insulator, a relatively movable support slidably mounted upon the relatively stationary support, guides on the movable support, curved tubular cutters slidably mounted on said guides and movable through the material of the insulator, and means for positively positioning a selected guide and cutter at the center of the insulator comprising stops on the relatively stationary sup-port engageable by the movable support.v

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a relatively stationary support adapted to be centered with respect to an insulator,

guide means movably mounted with respect to the stationary support, cutting means movably mounted upon the guide means and rotatable thereabout to pass through the material of the insulator for forming a curved passage therein.

7 Means for cutting a curved passage through an insulator in plastic condition, comprising a relatively stationary support adapted'to be centered upon an insulator, a pair of guides, means for shifting the position of the guides'with respect to said support and. the insulator to bring a selected guide at the center of the insulator, selectively, and successively usable cutters disposable upon said guides and rotatable tl-iercabout to pass through the material of the insnilator, said cutters being of curved term and one being eccentric with respect to the other whereby the holes cut thereby will merge and define a curved passage having walls of dilierent curvature.

8. In a device of the clniriniter described, supporting means adapted to be centered upon an insulator, a plurality of guide members movably mounted upon said supporting means, cut; rs nio ably mounted upon the respective snide llltll'ilJPlS, the cutters bein of curved ri'bnlar term and adapted to be moved along the guide members into and through the material oi the insulator, said cutters having ditl'crcnt curvatures.

9. in a device ot the character described, supporting means adapted to be centered upon an insulator a plurality of guide members movably m ted upon said support ing means, cutters movaoly mounted upon the respective guide moi hers, the cutters being ot curved tubular term and adapt ed to be moved. along the guide members into and through the material of the im-zulator, said cutters having dii'lerent cnrvatin'es and one being eccentric with respect to the other.

10. In a device of the character described, a support adapted to be centered upon an insulator in contact therewith, the support having' an open central portion, movable support slidably mounted upon the stationary support, means for limiting the sliding movement of the movable support, curved guide members carried by said movable support selectively disposable over t 1e center of the insulator, and substantially semicircular tubular cutters rcn'iovably mounted upon the guides and movable thcrealong through said opening to cut through the material of the insulator and to retain the cut material.

ll. In a device ot' the character described, a support adapted to be centered upon an insulator in contact therewith, the support having an open central portion, a movable support slidably mounted upon the stationary support, means for limiting the slidin movement of the movable support, curved guide members carried by said movable support sclectively disposable over the center of the insulator, and substantially semicircular tubular cutters ren'iovably mounted upon the guides and movable thercalon through sahl opening to out through the material oi the insulator and. to retain the cut material, said guide members having channelml peripheries o't irregular curvature in cross section providing bearing points for the cutters.

12. A device for forming holes in insulators of the Hewletttype while the insulators are in a plastic state, comprising a relatively stationary supporting member adapted to be engaged against the top or bottom of the insulator to be out, means for centering the sup-- it oon-4,22

porting member with respect to the insulator, said supporting member havinu an aperture therein exposing the material of the insulator, curved guide means on said supporting member, and a cutter slidably mount cd along said guide means and adapted to be moved through the aperture and the material (it the insulator tor forming a curved passaue.

13. Means for cutting); insulators ot the Hewlett type having; curved projections at the top and bottom thercot while the insulators are in a more or less plastic coiulition, comprising a supporting member adapted for disposition aj-Iainst a tlat surface (it the insulator and havin an open portion accommodatin r the curved projection at said :tlat side and exposing the material of the insulator, means for centering the supporting member with respect to the insulator, and so lectivcly operable cutters movable with re spect to the supporting member and adapted to pass along a curved path throuuh the material ot the insulator for producing: the curved passage therein.

141:. lileans tor cutting insulators oi the Hewlett type while in a plastic condition, comprising selectively usable supporting means adapted for disposition against the top or bottom surface of the insulator to be out, each supporting member havin an open portion exposing the material of the insulator, a movable member shittably mounted with respect to either guide en'iployed, guides of diiterent sizes and ccccntrically related carried by said relatively movable member, means for maintaining the relatively movable member at a selected position with a selected guide located at the diameter ol' the insulator, and selectively usable cutters adapted for sliding; movement along); the corresponding guide and adapted to move through the open portion and through the material of the insulator.

15. In an apparatus of the character described, a relatively s itationary support. adapted to be centered with respect to an in sulator, guide means adapted to be disposed at the center of said relatively stationary support, and cutting means dctachably eug'ageable upon the guide means and movable therealong; to pass through the material of the insulator for forming a curved passage therein.

16. In an apparatus ot the cliarautcr described, a relatively stationary support adapted to be engaged upon an insulator against the top or bottom sin-taco thcrco t and having an opening exposing the material ot the insulator, selectively usable curved guide means disposable at the center ot the relatively stationary support, selectively usable cutting means engageable upon. the guide means and movable thercaloiur to mass through the material oil the insulator iu curved path,

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lllil 17. In a device of the character described, a relatively stationary support adapted to be centered with respect to the top or bottom of an insulator in plastic condition, a relative- 1y movable support slidable along said relatively stationary support and provided with lateral flanges, retaining members on the relatively stationary support overhanging said lateral flanges, curved guide members on said relatively movable support disposable selectively at the diameter of the insulator, stops on the relatively stationary support engageable by said relatively movable support for limiting its movement in both directions, and curved cutting means adapted to be engaged upon the respective guide means and movable therealong to pass through the insulator in a curved path.

18. In a device of the character described, a support adapted to be centered with respect to an insulator of the Hewlett type, a plurality of successively usable cutting means movably mounted with respect to the support along curved paths of different radii for forming passages in the insulator.

19. In a device of the character described, a support adapted to be centered with respect to an insulator of the Hewlett type, a plurality of successively usable cutting means movably mounted with respect to the support along curved paths of different radii for forming passages inthe insulator, and guide means for the respective cutting means disposable at the diameter of the insulator.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MINOR F. H. GOUVERNEUR. 

